By My Side
by Kopita
Summary: The Warden's story from a sibling's perspective, who in turn embarks on her own adventure.
1. Introduction

_A/N: So! Here's the deal. I'm only somewhat partial to this story, so I will post the chapters I've written at this point, and if anyone so desires, I will continue. A couple notes: I typed these from my phone during the stage at which I had no computer, so I am completely aware that there may be a number of typos. I also typed them out of order at certain points, so if anything is confusing, please let me know. I like short chapters, but the lengths occasionally vary._

_My last note-- I assume that readers have played the game for the most part and understand what is going on in the Warden's main storyline, which allows me to slightly stray. Again, just let me know if anything doesn't make sense. :) Enjoy!_

-----

Mariel awoke with the comforting warmth of a campfire beating against her face, the sound of its crackling a pleasant rhythm in her ears. But the fire suddenly reminded her of the burning tower and then the battle at Ostagar, and she sat up. The acute pain in her lower chest made her regret the hasty movement, and she hissed sharply. Only now did she recall the injury she sustained at Ostagar. She did not, however, recall dressing the wound with bandages, or starting a fire, or even being in the Wilds, for that matter.

Aries happily barked as his friend sat up, and he rushed to her side with a big, slobbery kiss. She smiled and sighed with relief as she scratched him affectionately behind the ear. "At least you're still here, buddy. But ... how did you ...?"

"Ah, you're well." Mariel jumped at the deep voice; a man suited in chainmail dumped a pile of kindling next to the fire. He wore the colors of Highever, specifically from a house Mariel recognized.

She squinted at the man. "You wear ... the seal of the Couslands, but my friend recently told me she was the last of the line."

His eyes widened. "Cassava? You know Cassava? I'm her brother, Fergus. Praise the Maker--I thought they had all perished."

"Indeed." Mariel smiled. "She thought the same. She'll be so happy to ..." She trailed off, realizing that Cassava, and her brother, for that matter, might not still be alive. She swallowed with difficulty. "Tell me, have you heard word of what happened at Ostagar?"

Fergus frowned. "You are the only one I've met from the battle, but I did see an army of men with Denerim's flag leaving the area during the fight. They said they found no survivors."

Mariel furrowed her brow in confusion. "Loghain ... retreated? This doesn't make sense."

Aries let out a low growl.

"Mm," Mariel said, frowning. "I wish I knew what happened. Surely, they can't all be dead. I mean, if _I_ survived ..."

Fergus took one of his sticks and poked at his fire in silence a moment. "You're probably not up for regaling at a time like this, but," he said sheepishly, "I was wondering if you could tell me about your ..."

"Adventure?" she prompted. "No, don't apologize; I'd love to share it aloud. I think it will do me good. Let's see ... Where to start?" She smiled, laughing quietly. "_My_ story ..."


	2. Origins: Part 1

_A/N: I'm somewhat displeased with the writing of this chapter. If you haven't played the City Elf Origin, some of it might not make sense ... Just thought I'd mention. :)_

--

The funny thing about the day two weddings were to occur in the Alienage was that the two grooms were the only elves who weren't all that excited. One of them, Soris, was fixing himself into something terrible of a jitter, while the other, Seerin, was still in bed. His younger sister Mariel had gotten up early to help their cousin Shianni with decorations, food, and attire, but when Seerin hadn't shown up by noon, Shianni had sent her to fetch the elf.

She nearly bumped into her father, Cyrrion, while dashing towards the bedroom. "Excuse me, father," she apologized.

He turned to her, a smile crinkling his face. "Don't you look lovely," he said, brushing a hand against her face. He sighed. "Shame Valora's

family offered such a generous dowry to Soris; I always fancied that you and he would've made quite the couple."

"Father!" Mariel groaned. Seerin and Soris were the best of friends, and Cyrrion never stopped going on about how she and Soris would marry

one day. She loved Soris as she did her brother--if not more often since her own brother annoyed her much of the time -- but the idea of marrying the timid, awkward elf had never appealed to her.

"Today is Seerin's day, not mine," she reminded her father. "Shianni sent me here with his wedding clothes."

Cyrrion raised his eyebrows. "The boy hasn't left yet? By the Maker, I didn't even notice."

Mariel stepped into Seerin's room, unsurprised to find the elf buried beneath his covers and pillow. She promptly pulled away the sheet before he could snatch it back.

"Get up, Seerin!" she chirped. "Your wedding's going to start without you."

"If only," he said, chuckling. He let out a long sigh, and didn't sit up until Mariel began pounding on his arm with her fists. "All right, all right! It'd be nice to get there in one piece, Mari."

"Or I could save you the trouble and beat you to it!" Mariel laughed at her pun triumphantly as Seerin grimaced.

"I think I'd rather take my chances out there."

He laughed as she punched him once more. Whether she hit him gently or in earnest, he'd accumulated many a bruise on his arms and shoulders over the years from the sheer number of blows.

"I have your clothes here," she said, unfolding a navy blue jacket with fine embroidery and shiny buttons down the front.

Seerin wrinkled his nose, but he slipped into the attire quickly with a fluid grace. "I hate collars," he muttered as he buttoned up the shirt.

Mariel smiled. "It looks good on you, though. Really. Shianni picked a good color for your obnoxiously dark skin tone."

Unlike most of the pale, even sickly colored elves of the city, Seerin had an unusually healthy tan. As Mariel had just a tad lighter complexion, they surmised it had come from the dark skin of their late mother. Their mother, before her death, had been teaching Seerin the skills of a rogue-- those that included stealth, dexterity, mastery of knives and lockpicking. (Mariel had only been naught more than a babe at the time, but Seerin had been secretly passing on what their mother would've taught her herself.) Seerin had often used such techniques about town and sometimes winded up in a lot of trouble for it.

Somehow, though, he'd always managed to worm his way back out of it.

It wasn't something their father was proud of, and he'd started favoring his younger, less reckless child as the years went by. He often complained of how tricky it was finding a match for Seerin without him constantly sticking his nose where it didn't belong.

But find a match Cyrrion did, and today was to be the fruit of his labors.

After getting dressed and having a word with their father, who promised to see them soon at the town center, Seerin and Mariel left home to find their cousins.

Mariel chattered away with delight, pleased with her dress, pleased with the idea of a double wedding, pleased with the fine weather the

Maker has blessed them with. Seerin humored her, but his thoughts were elsewhere. It was not a surprise when he noticed the humans just past the Sacred Tree and his sister didn't.

"Hey," he said, interrupting her comments on the idea of arranged marriage, "Go find Soris, will you? I'm going to go talk to my betrothed."

She raised her eyebrows and grinned. "I've never met her, but I heard she's absolutely stunning."

"Alone," Seerin added impatiently.

"All right, all right, lover boy," she teased, running off towards Soris's house. She didn't notice Seerin steel himself as he approached the group of humans, of whom the first was reaching for one of the elven maidens. Seerin didn't want his sister to see things get ugly.

--

Soris was nervously tugging at his collar outside his house when Mariel found him.

"Hey, Soris!" She giggled. "Getting cold feet?"

He sighed. "And why shouldn't I be? I'm about to write the rest of my life off to a girl who's rumored to resemble a dying mouse."

Mariel's jaw dropped. "Valora?" she cried incredulously. "I knew her when we were younger! She's really nice." She flashed a sheepish grin. "She ... just has funny teeth is all. Really."

Soris groaned.

"Oh, don't be so shallow," she scolded.

Laughing as he threw his arms out in a shrug, he offered, "How about _we_ get married, cuz?"

Mariel scoffed, unimpressed. "That's your proposal? You are very lucky Valora saw something in you."

"So ... I take it that's a no?"

"No thank you," she said, beaming sweetly.

"Owch." Soris winced. He turned his head for a moment and his eyes lit up. "Ah, my comrade-in-arms arrives at last!"

Mariel rolled her eyes. "Calling love a battlefield is already losing the war, Soris." She turned to her brother, expecting applause or rebuttal for her clever retort, but was startled to find Seerin looking especially sober and solemn.

"Hey," she asked gently, "are you okay?"

"Huh?" He glanced up at her, his eyes distant for a moment before focusing. "Uh, yeah," he said, looking away again. "Yeah ..."

"Are you nervous, Seerin?" Soris prompted, seeking more to comfort himself than to poke fun at his cousin's expense.

Seerin grinned mischievously, seeming to recover himself. "If I am, it's not half as much nervous as YOU should be."

Soris gasped, his face suddenly wrenched with worry. "What? What do you mean?"

Seerin chuckled, crossing his arms coolly. "I just talked with the brides."

The tips of Soris's ears flushed a soft pink. "Does she really have mouse teeth?" he blurted frantically.

Seerin burst out laughing so hard he had to bend over, but Mariel was still curious about her brother's odd demeanor she'd just witnessed.

It worried her. Seerin was very good at keeping secrets, so good, in fact, that no one ever expected that he even had any. But Mariel knew better. Behind his sarcastic comments and playful attitude, Seerin felt a lot of responsibility for those close to him and went to ridiculous lengths to shield them as best he could.

But whatever it was, he probably wouldn't talk about it in front of Soris, or just minutes before his wedding, either, so Mariel didn't ask.

"Here they are, now," Seerin said, gesturing to two young elven women who were strolling down the street towards them.

One had long, soft blonde hair, so pale it was nearly as white as her skin. Her features were delicate: a petite, pointed nose and small but full pink lips. Her large green eyes were enchanting and calculating; they had clearly captivated many a man's heart. She smiled coyly at Seerin, and Mariel realized this must be his betrothed, Nesiara. She certainly was beautiful, and Mariel guessed from her intelligent appearance that she could easily keep up with Seerin's witty banter.

And yet, Mariel felt she wouldn't be a good match for her brother. Was it simply jealousy? She didn't think so ...

The second had her dusty brown hair pulled up in a wavy ponytail, and the girl's eyes were bright with excitement if not held in a manner as sophisticated as Nesiara's. She was really quite pretty, though, until she flashed a big smile their way, revealing rather large front teeth that did indeed resemble a rodent's. Soris grimaced but Mariel jabbed him sharply in the stomach with her elbow, hoping Valora wouldn't notice.

Seerin smiled, gallantly taking the arm of his betrothed. "This is my bride-to-be, Nesiara ..." The two exchanged a look before he gestured to the other girl. "And this is your betrothed, Valora."

"Valora," Mariel said cheerfully, "do you remember me? Mari? You used to watch me when I was younger and my brother and father were both unable."

A wave of recognition flooded over Valora's face. "Oh, Mariel, little

Mari! Is that you?" she gushed. "You've grown so much since I last saw you!"

The girls exchanged stories while Soris awkwardly listened in silence. "Err ..."

Mariel suddenly took his hand and placed Valora's in it, and the two looked into each other's eyes. Soris slowly smiled, and Valora blushed, looking away, but she smiled too.

"I think you two will be perfect for each other," Mariel said approvingly.

"Come on, you lovebirds," Seerin crooned. "You can get in bed _after _the ceremony!"

"Seerin!" Soris cried indignantly, his cheeks instantly flushing a deep red.

Valora giggled, and Mariel sighed. She hoped Seerin wouldn't embarrass them all during the wedding. Then again, this was her brother, wasn't it? She began to feel a twinge of pity for Nesiara.

--

Despite the grooms' previous anxiety, there was much joy when the wedding finally commenced. Shianni could hardly contain her happiness, and more than often she would whisper excitedly to Mariel, who stood beside her, almost as happy as she was. It was hard not to smile, the enthusiasm was so contagious.

Finally, the priestess calmed everyone down and began her rites. Hardly before she had invoked the Maker's blessings, though, Mariel saw her brother's face fall. She followed his gaze to a pack of humans storming through the crowd--a very large pack; some were even armored.

This looked bad. Had Seerin gotten into trouble before? Was that what he had been acting strangely about?

Soris held up a hand to stop the Revered Mother, and she turned, startled as she saw the human leading them. He was dressed the most finely of them all, garbed in a vibrant golden orange tunic with elaborate embroidery down the sides.

"M'lord!" the priestess stuttered. "What a-a pleasant surprise! What brings you here?"

Mariel narrowed her eyes. She recognized the man now as the arl's son. She'd heard plenty of nasty things about him and now didn't doubt a single one. "Bann Vaughan," she hissed to Shianni. "What's he doing here?"

To her surprise, Shianni's face paled and she didn't respond.

Vaughan chuckled. "The thing is, Mother, I'm having a party and we're terribly short of female guests."

"M'lord! This is a wedding," the priestess cried angrily.

The man's eyes flashed darkly. "Now, you can dress them up all you want and have your tea parties, but don't pretend this is a real wedding."

Mariel bristled furiously, and she could tell Seerin was too, but the

Revered Mother had resigned. No human would stand up for them in the end, after all.

"Now, we'll take that one there, in the tight dress ..." His eyes passed over Valora and then settled on Nesiara, who was clutching Seerin's arm fiercely in an attempt to restrain him. "See the pretty bride," Vaughan said huskily, then abruptly turned around. "Wait, where's the bitch who bottled me?"

Mariel was roughly pushed aside by another man, also dressed in fine clothes, who grabbed hold of Shianni's wrist. "Right here, m'lord," he called.

Shianni struggled in vain. "Let me go, you stuffed shirt son of a --"

"Stop it, you jerk!" Mariel made a move to help her cousin, but another man shoved her to the ground.

She heard Bann Vaughan laugh. "Oho, I'll have fun taming her ..."

Mariel got to her feet in time to see her brother step forward. "Tame this, asshole!" Vaughan, who had been looking the other way, took Seerin's punch straight across his jaw.

He snapped around, a vicious snarl in his eyes, and put a hand to the place he'd been hit. "Ah, yes, I remember you, bloody knife-ear," he muttered. "Thought you could stand up to me. Well, guess what, runt, you're about to show this whole Alienage what happens when an elf," he spat the word, "thinks it can do that."

Mariel watched in horror as the man slammed his fist right into

Seerin's stomach. Seerin's face contorted with pain, but he didn't cry out. Instead, he lunged forward, but Vaughan called for a guard, who promptly smacked him so hard he fell to the ground. Grinning, Vaughan began kicking Seerin in the stomach, again and again. No one stood up for the elf who had stood up for them all.

Mariel couldn't take it. She ran forward, shrieking, "Stop it! Stop it, you'll kill him!" She managed to dart past Vaughan's men and planted herself in front of her fallen brother. "You can't do this!"

"And who's this? Your sister?" Vaughan said, amused. If there was anything he disrespected more than an elf, it was an elf wench.

"Don't hurt her," Seerin groaned, but he couldn't even raise his head.

Vaughan laughed cruelly. "All right, I've made up my mind; she comes with us. Men, let's take the women and go."

"No!" Seerin grunted, but he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. "Soris ..."

But Soris was petrified with fear. A brute pushed him aside and he grabbed Valora. The men began upturning tables, ripping through decorations, and scaring away guests. One even took a bite out of the wedding cake.

Mariel was so dismayed she didn't realize Vaughan swing his arm toward her, and as he made full contact with the back of her head, she immediately blacked out.


	3. Origins: Part 2

_A/N: I remember thinking that the "Origins" chapter of this story would be really short and simple. Haha! I think it's the longest part yet. I remember being astonished I had to make a second part to continue it._

_Oh, by the way, the elf named "Tyri" ... I don't really know if that's her name. I couldn't remember. Sorry!_

--

"Cousin, cousin, are you all right?"

The voice was distant at first, and Mariel ignored it a couple times. She couldn't remember why but she felt that she didn't want to wake up. The voice returned, though, and she recognized it now as Shianni's. Someone was shaking her shoulder, too, so Mariel reluctantly opened her eyes.

"Thank the Maker," Shianni breathed. "I thought ... I was scared that you ..."

"I'm fine," she reassured her, though she felt awful the instant she sat up. She glanced about her surroundings: stone walls, and two heavy metal doors on both sides. A cell? "Where are we?"

"The arl's estate," Valora said. She spoke calmly and bravely considering what had happened.

Mariel remembered now. "Is everyone all right?" she asked.

There were four women besides her in the room: Shianni, Nesiara, Valora, and Tyri, who was kneeling on the ground, hysterically whispering prayers.

"For the moment," Nesiara said darkly.

Tyri's whisperings rose to strangled shrieks and Shianni sighed. "Not this again ..."

"What about Seerin?" Mariel clutched Shianni's sleeve desperately. "Is he all right?"

Shianni bit her lip. "I ... I don't know." She noticed the devastated look on Mariel's face and pulled her close. "I'm sure he's fine."

"The boys are in better luck than us, that's for sure," Nesiara said dryly.

"Nesiara," Valora said sharply, then added in a hushed tone, "She's hardly more than a child. You shouldn't say such things."

"Well, it's high time she should grow up, then. This is the real world, and she's not living in whatever sheltered life her brother and father have tried to keep her in," she snapped.

Mariel pulled away from Shianni's embrace and stood up. "I am more aware of the real world than you think. What do you think my mother died for?"

The other girl blanched at the mention of Mariel's mother, Adaia, who had been killed by humans for advocating elves' rights, but she didn't back down.

"So boo-hoo. Your mother died," she said, her voice thick with bitterness. "Don't we all have our sob stories? I don't care, and I don't care that you're the youngest of us. Those men are not going to spare you or show you any more mercy just because your father's one of the wealthiest elves in the Alienage, or because you're so ignorant of the things going on around you, so get used to it."

Mariel felt anger stir up inside her, but she attempted to calm herself. Fighting was the last thing they needed now. "It's okay to be scared, Nesiara," she said softly.

"Scared?" she cried shrilly. "I'm not scared, and if you think you're the one being brave, I wouldn't have shouted at you to begin with." But she was trembling.

"Of course I'm scared," Mariel admitted. "I'm frightened and angry and don't know what to do. We all are." She took a deep, shaky breath. "We just ... we just have to stay calm, and we can't afford to be arguing with each other in situations like this."

Nesiara opened her mouth, but her face softened at Mariel's words. "I'm sorry. You're right."

"We need to stick together," Valora agreed.

Just then, Tyri shrieked. "Footsteps! I hear footsteps; they're coming!"

The others tried to shush her, but she was already scared out of her mind. The door opened, and four men clad in sturdy armor stepped into the room. The leader stepped forward, a bland look on his face.

"All right, ladies. Bann Vaughan is ready for you, now, so we'll just be escorting you to his room. And if you don't come along quietly --"

"Leave us alone, you monsters!" Tyri cried.

Sighing, the guard fluidly drew his sword and drove it through the girl's stomach. He pulled it out, letting it drip with blood as Tyri collapsed to the floor.

"You--you killed her!" Shianni gasped, holding Mariel close.

"And that's what'll happen to you whores if you don't comply, so let's get a move on, wenches," he finished gruffly. "Look how nicely this worked out, then; one man for each knife-ear."

"Just do what they say for now," Valora whispered quickly. "We don't want anyone else dead."

"They'll rape us and kill us in the end, anyway," Nesiara said grimly.

Mariel instinctively reached towards the dagger hidden within her boot, but four guards were too many for her to handle. She knew Valora was right, so she allowed the man to roughly take her by the arm and lead her to the arl's room.

--

The arl's son and his men seemed bored and starved for action, though most were drunk and in high spirits regardless. Other than Vaughan, there were four of his rich companions with him. Five men plus four guards. Mariel's odds looked bleak.

"Finally," Vaughan said. "Are we all ready to have a good time, gentlemen?"

"Just a good time with the ladies," one said, a slur in his voice.

"Well, you'll have to wait your turn." He stepped towards the women, his gaze fixed on Shianni. "I'm going to take my time with this one, first. Guards, you're dismissed."

Mariel felt the tiniest surge of hope as the armored men left, but it was short-lived.

Vaughan seized Shianni, dragging her from the group and throwing her down. She cried out, and Mariel couldn't help but race to her side.

"You again," Vaughan said curiously. "The rebel's sister."

"Shall I do away with the runt?" one of the men asked.

"No," he said, a sly smile slowing spreading across his face. "I have a plan. Her brother will no doubt have recovered by tomorrow. We're going to use her to make sure he and the other knife-ears never recover again. One of you can take her and do what you like ... Just leave her alive for now."

Mariel swelled first with fear and then indignity. "How dare you! You think you can just--"

A hand clamped firmly on her mouth from behind and a strong arm pulled her away from the others. "I'd stop talking if I were you, honey," a voice hissed in her ear. "Vaughan can find just as many uses for your corpse as for keeping you alive."

He dropped her down in a corner, far from the other men, who were preoccupied at the moment anyway.

"Now be a good girl and do as you're told," he said, straddling her waist.

"I'll die first," she whispered defiantly.

The man took her face in his hands and squashed his mouth against hers, and she tried to push him off by the shoulders, but he shoved her down to the ground. Mariel concentrated on slowly inching her hand down her leg, toward her boot sheath, as she struggled. In the back of her mind, she was mildly ticked that this git had taken and tainted every dream she would ever have of a first kiss. His lips had drifted to her jawline when she finally closed her fingers around the dagger hilt, and she now had a perfect view of his neck. Too late, he heard the soft _shing_ of the metal being drawn as Mariel drove the dagger through his throat. He hardly made a sound as he fell limp on top of her. The blood spilled onto her dress, and Mariel felt mixed guilt for both the life and skirt she'd ruined. She quickly removed her dagger and hid it in her sleeve, wondering how long it would take for someone to notice the man's death.

As it turned out, Vaughan just missed seeing Mariel conceal her weapon.

The red of blood on her clothes was like a beacon, and he immediately grabbed his sword. He started charging towards her, nostrils flaring like a dragon, when the door swung open.

"Guards!" he exclaimed, for once in his life pleased of his men's intrusion. "Take this one away."

"Of course, m'lord. Right after we take your head."

Vaughan and Mariel both whirled around in disbelief and saw Seerin and Soris at the door, both armed and bloody with grim expressions of determination. Unfortunately, Mariel was so overjoyed to see her brother she lost her focus and was grabbed by Vaughan, who held his sword to her throat.

The other men in the room had finally realized the seriousness of the situation but were unsure what to do.

"Should we run these knife-ears through for you, Vaughan?" one asked.

"Look at them, you idiot! They're covered in enough blood to fill a tub. What do you think that means?" he barked. He recovered himself and flashed a charming smile at the elves. "Listen, you're obviously skilled, but unless you'd like your pretty little sister's head instead of mine, I suggest you put down your weapons and I'll put down mine."

Mariel's eyes widened. She wouldn't let herself be the one responsible for Seerin's death just after she had been so glad to see him. "That's not fair!" she cried. "Your men are still armed; they'll slaughter them!" However, she took this time to make sure Seerin saw a glint of her hidden dagger.

He nodded grimly, indicating he understood. "All right, Vaughan. Don't hurt her." He placed his knives on the ground and slid them far into the corner.

Soris's face fell with despair, but he reluctantly dropped his bow and kicked it aside.

"Now you," Seerin demanded.

"Done," Vaughan said smugly. As soon as he did so, Mariel drew her blade and slashed it across the man's neck. A thin line of red blossomed along his throat, and he gasped as he collapsed, right along with his clattering sword.

The remaining three men let out cries of shock and outrage and immediately rushed towards the elves. Seerin gracefully dodged the thrust of the first man's sword and easily recovered his blades. Soris avoided a fatal blow by slipping on a puddle of spilt wine before Mariel managed to toss Vaughan's sword to him.

The men, though sobered by the murder of their lord, were not nearly as skilled and still heavily influenced by alcohol, and they soon fell prey to steel.

"Oh, Maker ..." Soris gazed upon his blood-stained hands in shock.

Seerin turned to his sister and hugged her tightly. "Thank Andraste you're safe."

"Seerin," Mariel whispered. "I'm so glad you came." She closed her eyes and felt tears trickle down her cheeks.

She pulled away when she could hear Shianni's sobbing. "Maker's breath, how could I forget?" she hissed, pulling away from Seerin and running to her cousin's aid.

Shianni grabbed onto her arm as if it were a vine in a pit of quicksand. "Blood ..." she blubbered. "There's so much blood."

"It's Vaughan's blood, Shianni," Seerin said. "We killed him. We killed all the humans who hurt you."

Her eyes widened. "All of them?"

"Like dogs," he said darkly.

She paused for a moment and sniffed. Then she nodded. "Good," she said. "Good."

Nesiara and Valora hovered over her, unsure of what to say.

"Are you all right?" Mariel asked them.

Valora nodded. "Shianni got the worst of it."

"The bastard said he was saving us for later," Nesiara added with a sneer.

"Please take me home," Shianni whimpered. "I just want to go home."

"Shh, it's okay. Everything's all right now," Seerin said, but after a quick exchange of looks with Mariel, they both knew that everything was definitely not okay. "Let's get you out of here."

"I'll lead the retreat," Soris said bitterly. He was still sorely overwhelmed with all the blood and death around him. None of it seemed real. "I can't wait to leave this place."

--

While Soris and Nesiara explained what had happened to the rest of the Alienage and Valora took Shianni back home to recover, Seerin spoke aside to Mariel.

"It won't be long before guards are sent to arrest someone for the incident," he said, "and whatever happens, somebody will have to take the blame. I don't want Soris to be that somebody; he might even be too scared to admit it to the authorities, but just make sure he stays quiet."

"Of course," Mariel agreed. "Soris is surely innocent, but you, Seerin, can't possibly be thinking of turning yourself in."

"That's exactly what I intend to do; there is no other way."

"Let them take me instead! I am the one who killed Vaughan."

"No!" Seerin cried sharply. "You will not, under any circumstance, offer yourself. I forbid it." When Mariel frowned, Seerin placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Shianni needs you. Soris needs you. Your own father will desperately need you when I leave! And you'll still have a life here, compared to me, the trouble-maker who was bound to get carted out of town sooner or later. Please, Mari. Promise me you will stay here to take care of everyone."

_And who will be there to take care of you?_ she thought. She decided that she just couldn't comply with her brother's wishes. One way or another, she'd turn herself in.

She turned away from her brother and patted Soris on the back. "Hey, cousin, you should go clean up."

He chuckled nervously. "You should see yourself. You and Seerin have more blood on your clothes than I have in my veins."

"I want you to check on Shianni and Valora," she said, not untruthfully.

"W-won't the ... the humans come looking for us soon?"

"I want you to check on Shianni and Valora," she repeated firmly.

"A-All right." He hesitated. "Cousin?"

"Hm?"

"You are ... so brave. Both you and Seerin. I ... I wish I was that brave. But I've been nothing but afraid during this whole ordeal."

She smiled. "You are brave, Soris. Being afraid is only natural. Doing what you have to do anyway is what takes courage."

He opened his mouth, but no words came out. After a few more failed attempts, Mariel opened her arms for a hug to help him out.

"Thanks, Cousin," he said, embracing her.

"I'm gonna miss you, Soris," she whispered after he left.

Seerin tapped her shoulder. "They're here," he said, his eyes darting to the city gates anxiously.

A senior officer with a thick, bushy moustache followed by a younger man in polished silver breastplates entered the Alienage.

"Valendrian," the first said, addressing the elven elder. "I have come for the elves responsible for the deaths in the arl's estate, including the death of the arl's son himself."

"And you know it was an elf behind this?" Valendrian asked skeptically.

"The servants, our witnesses, reported two armed, unfamiliar elves storming the premises last night. You cannot hide them from us."

Seerin took a deep breath and revealed himself, stepping out from the shadow of the alley he'd been waiting behind. "It was me. I did it."

The officer's eyes widened at the sight of Seerin's blood-flecked armor. "Well," he said slowly. "I do not envy your fate, lad, but I applaud your courage. The witnesses specifically mentioned two elves, though; I'm going to have to ask you to tell us who your accomplice is."

"There is no other," Seerin said evenly. "Unless you doubt my skill, ser."

The younger soldier looked nervous at this, but the other was undaunted. "You need to tell us, boy, or we'll have to search the Alienage ourselves."

Seerin hesitated, but before he could come up with the convincing lie Mariel knew he would, she stepped forward herself. "No need, gentlemen. I'm right here."

The men all looked at her incredulously, and Seerin shot her a withering glare.

"Perhaps you didn't hear the question, m'am," the officer said. "We are looking for the one who killed Bann Vaughan."

"Yes," Seerin said firmly, "not the women who were taken to the estate."

A good move on Seerin's part. The guards were certainly uninterested in talking with an abused elf who would demand justice and rights and other ugly, rebellious ideas.

"Right, you should just get on home, lass," the second officer said hastily.

"You would deny the blood on my dress as proof?" Mariel exclaimed.

Seerin shook his head, giving the guards a sympathetic look. "Poor girl was standing right next to Vaughan when I stabbed his gut. Blood got all over her, and I think she's been taking the whole ordeal badly."

Mariel scoffed. "Vaughan wasn't stabbed; he was sliced across the throat."

The younger officer narrowed his eyes. "The girl speaks the truth, ser. The wound was reported as such, most likely inflicted by a small dagger. But as for proving that you were indeed the murderer ..."

"Mari, don't do this," Seerin pleaded in a low voice.

She ignored him. "I have the proof right here." And with that, she withdrew her knife from her sleeve, crusted with blood.

Seerin hissed as if he were in physical pain. Mariel had just played her ace, and he had nothing to beat it. The guards could not have denied the evidence if they'd wanted to.

"Why would you do this to me?" Seerin burst. "They had no reason to suspect you!"

"You heard them!" she retorted. "They would've searched the village and found someone else to take, innocent or not. At least this is the right thing to do!"

"And sacrificing yourself? That's the right thing to do? Do you think I turned myself in for my own benefit?"

"You think you're protecting those you love by putting yourself in the danger you don't want to see them in," Mariel lowered her voice, "but you're not."

Seerin let out something of a strangled cry, but he could think of nothing to say.

The guards looked at each other. "Well, this will be a pleasant escort to the prison cells," one muttered.

"Ho there! Soldiers of Denerim." A tanned, wisened man approached them, an experienced edge in his walk and his gaze.

"What is it, Warden?" the officer snapped. "As you can see, we've got everything under control here. We're arresting these two elves for the confessed murder of the arl's son."

"So I heard," the man said.

"Duncan," Seerin said, though Mariel didn't recognize the Warden as anyone they'd met before. "Please do something! You can't let them take my sister."

"As a Grey Warden," Duncan continued, "I invoke the Right of Conscription, allowing me to take charge of these two prisoners from you."

"Bah, bloody Warden treaties," the man said. But he promptly turned to leave, complaining to his companion, "What a waste of time all that was ..."

Mariel turned to the Grey Warden. She'd only heard legends of the fabled order, the heroes of Ferelden who took in all folk of race or gender to vanquish the darkspawn, but this man certainly seemed sturdy enough to be from such tales. "I seem to owe you thanks, good ser. You and my brother have met before?"

"It was before the wedding," Seerin said impatiently. "He was looking for recruits to join the Grey Wardens. And now you've invoked this 'Right of Conscription', which means exactly what for us?"

"It means that I take you to Ostagar where you join the battle of the Blight with the Grey Wardens, and you say goodbye to your old lives forever."

"Right," Seerin said dryly. "I thought you might say that."


	4. To Ostagar

_A/N: Some of these characters I actually created ... others, I just made up for the sake of including many origins. Some of them may or may not show up later in this series ... if I ever continue it, that is._

_Also, this chapter is awkwardly split up because the Ostagar section is slightly longer than I'd like for a regular chapter size, but it doesn't really have a good breaking point. :)_

--

The journey to Ostagar was slow but uneventful. Duncan had five other recruits with him besides Mariel and Seerin.

Two were dwarves, but aside from height, they were as different as can be. The first, an Aeducan lord with a thick black beard and a strong chin, carried himself with a regal air, and he sniffed at the other, who walked with her head down. Her incredibly red hair covered her face when she did this, but most had already seen the sign of the casteless blazoned on her cheek, not that it meant much to the other non-dwarven races amongst them.

There was one other elf, but she was Dalish. When she had first met Seerin, she'd almost been fooled but frowned at him disdainfully when she realized he wasn't Dalish too. She was the only archer in the group, or at least the only who carried a long bow with her. It was twice her arm span and intricately carved with branch-like designs. Mariel admired it very much but couldn't seem to ever find the courage to tell the stern-faced elf so herself.

The mage of the group, a charming man named Daylen, was pleasant enough, but he always seemed distracted. He also had a very large, hooked nose, like a hawk, and Mariel found it most repugnant no matter how hard she tried to ignore such shallow thoughts. He was an apt healer and had tended to her wounds most kindly, minimal as they were. And the last, the only recruit Mariel enjoyed being around, was the daughter of a teryn. Her name was Lady Cassava Cousland, but she bid everyone call her Cassava. She had a sincere smile and could chatter away for hours when given nearly any topic, and though Mariel didn't always contribute half as much to their conversations, the two quickly became good friends. Cassava tried to get along with all of her companions, but most of them were too grief-stricken by the recent traumas of their past to even acknowledge the others.

"I wouldn't blame them," Cassava said to Mariel when the casteless dwarf, Shay, had turned away Cassava's offer of meat and walked away. Mariel had thought it very rude to reject an act of kindness so simple. "They no doubt are feeling very lost right now, just like you. Sometimes seeing the extreme evils of the world makes you forget the good things that are still there."

Mariel looked at Cassava thoughtfully. She saw a certain sadness behind Cassava's cheerful smile, and wondered why she did not act as bitter as the other recruits. "We are lucky you are with us then."

Cassava blinked. "Oh," she said, laughing. "That's very sweet of you."

Mariel gathered up her strength and blurted, "If you want to talk about it, that is, only if you want, I, well, I don't want, that is, I would be happy to listen."

"I, um ..." Cassava smiled, realizing what the elf meant almost right away. "Then I would be glad to share. Thank you."

--

Seerin sometimes joined Mariel and Cassava when he wasn't flirting with the Dalish girl in vain. Though he had been extraordinarily upset with Mariel the first couple days of the trip, he soon forgave her and the two became closer than ever through bonds of blood as well as experience. He was still highly displeased that he was marching his sister straight to certain death--or so he believed, at the very least. Almost every night, she would hear him argue with Duncan when he thought she couldn't hear.

"She shouldn't be here; she's just a child--" he protested.

"She is hardly a child, if not simply younger than the rest of us," Duncan countered evenly. "Her abilities are remarkable, especially for her age."

"And that suddenly makes it okay to send her off to war? You're going to make her pay for the crime I committed? She was innocent, forced to draw her blade; she doesn't deserve--"

"Neither of you is to blame for what the arl's son did," he said firmly, then softened his tone. "But both of you shed blood; she herself would have been personally tried for the death of Vaughan. She would not have been able to return to her old life. She never can."

Seerin struggled to think of a response, but the usually witty elf was stuck. He sighed and turned away from Duncan, trudging back to his campfire. Mariel was waiting for him.

He stiffened when he saw her, realizing she'd overheard the entire thing. "I thought you were sleeping," he said weakly.

She smiled grimly. Seerin took another breath, then slowly sat down, wrapping an arm around her. He rested his head on her shoulder a moment. "To be honest," he murmured, "I was really proud when you slit the bastard's throat. I just wish ..."

She took his hand. "We all do. But what's done is done."

He sighed.

"Hey," she said suddenly. "I have a favor to ask."

"Hm? Am I going to regret this?" He raised his eyebrows with a grin.

She smiled. "I'm tired of walking around in this dress. It's ruined now, anyway, and I'd rather wear more manueverable."

Seerin laughed. "Um ... I don't exactly carry a spare wardrobe with me."

"Well, at least you took some armor from the arl's palace! Look, I have britches beneath my skirt --just let me borrow your undershirt to wear on top."

"What?" he exclaimed. "You seriously want me to let you walk around in underclothes?"

Mariel blushed. "Well, when you put it like that ...!"

As it was, Mariel snagged her dress on a thorn the next day and made a very large tear in the dress.

"We can probably mend it," Daylen offered.

"No, no, I've got this..." Seerin shrugged off his armor and wormed out of his thin white shirt underneath, handing it to Mariel. "You did that on purpose," he hissed.

She raised her eyebrows innocently. "Me?"

--

Truth be told, Mariel looked ridiculous next to the other recruits. She was small and frail already, but her lack of armor and Seerin's shirt, which was very loose on her, made her look even more childish. When the recruits finally made it to Ostagar, she hid behind Seerin, intimidated by the towering gates, majestic even as ruins. She could hardly believe she was at the base of the mighty Grey Wardens.

She was even more astounded when King Cailan himself came to address the group. She continued to cower behind her brother as the king insisted he take the time to meet them all, explaining that the Grey Wardens were a valuable asset in their fight against the darkspawn and that every recruit was sorely needed. Mariel almost escaped his notice, but he had glanced back at them just after they'd started to leave.

"You there," he called. "Ho, little one, I don't believe I greeted you."

Mariel froze, but Cassava smiled. "Your majesty, this is Lady Mariel."

She spun Mariel around and prodded her forward.

Mariel felt her face flush and she stuttered, "I-I-I'm not really ...

I'm just--" She felt even more ridiculous.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Mariel," he said, planting a gentle kiss on her hand. "Good luck to you and your fellow recruits."

Fortunately for Mariel, whose jaw dropped, the king turned away and shortly retired to his tent. The rest accordingly continued their way into the base, discussing Cailan's lack of severity and the Blight among other things.

Seerin grinned at his sister. "Look at you!" he teased, jabbing her with his elbow. "Picking a king as your first target of seduction. It appears I've taught you well."

She punched his arm. Hard.


	5. Fight or Flight

_A/N: This is the awkward break point I mentioned._

--

Duncan informed the recruits that preparations for the Joining would begin after he'd spoken with Alistair, a member of the order chosen to help them during the process. They were allowed to rest but told not to stick their noses where they didn't belong. Mariel gave Seerin a knowing look. Duncan reckoned they should gather back at noon to start the trial.

After the group was dismissed and slowly began dispersing, Cassava turned to the two city elves. "May I join you?" she asked brightly.

Seerin grinned. "Join us in our pointless meandering while we await certain doom at the Wardens' hands? You are more than welcome."

Cassava smirked, falling into step with the two. "It's really a dream come true to be here," she said, her eyes sparkling. "I've always heard the stories, the legends ..." She laughed. "I could recite them all from memory, word for word, if I tried. And to think, we might actually become the stuff of those legends."

"If you say so," Seerin said, frowning slightly.

Mariel glanced at him, wondering if he disliked being here himself or just knowing she was here with them.

She was about to tell Cassava she thought it was just as awe-inspiring as she did when they heard a great ruckus to their left. Seerin led the way, rushing to the scene, where they found a mabari hound tackling one of the wardens. His eyes were wild, and slobber dribbled out of his flashing mouth of fangs. Together, Cassava and Seerin pulled the dog off the shaken man and Seerin threw an arm around the dog's mouth, shutting his trap of dangerous, sharp teeth.

"Mari, there's a muzzle--" he shouted, breaking off as the hound struggled viciously in his grip.

Mariel took the muzzle from the ground where it had fallen from the man's hand and deftly threw it around the dog's snout, pulling it tight. The dog twisted a bit more, but seemed to sense defeat, and slowly sank to the ground.

"Poor thing," Mariel whispered, stroking the dog's ears. His eyes feverishly darted back and forth, and he breathed quickly and heavily through his nose.

"The dog is suffering," Seerin said, running a hand along its back. He had a soft spot for animals. The dog turned at the touch and looked up at Seerin intently.

"Friends, I thank you," breathed the kennel master. "I am glad you were able to subdue him. Poor guy swallowed too much darkspawn blood in the last battle and he's been sick ever since. If you hadn't come along, I might've been forced to put him down." He looked down at the hound sadly. "I might still have to, as it is."

Seerin's eyes widened. "But you can't!"

Cassava put a hand on Seerin's arm. She calmly asked the kennel master, "Is there nothing that can be done to cure him?"

The man bit his lip. "I've tried everything, except ... There is a plant in the Wilds that might help, but no one has been allowed out there recently. But then again, you are the new recruits, no?"

"Yes ..." Seerin said skeptically.

"If you do ever find yourself in the Wilds, there is a very distinct flower-- all white with a bright red center -- that would greatly aid our fellow here. Now, if you'll excuse me ..."

The mabari, who had somewhat calmed down, allowed himself to be led off by the trainer to his pen. He shot one last glance at Seerin before the gate was shut.

Mariel looked at her brother, who seemed reluctant to leave. "He'll be okay, Seerin," she said gently.

"Of course," Cassava added reassuringly. "I'll find the herb myself."

Seerin shook his head. "Let's just go."

Their next goal was to buy a suitable outfit for Mariel. As they browsed the stores, though, they had no luck finding any armor in her size.

One of the men purchasing a bow noticed their plight. "I don't think they come that small," he said, teasingly but not rudely. "You might have to ask for a custom-made."

"So we noticed," Mariel muttered quietly.

"Name's Daveth, a recruit who's been waiting a long time for you to show up," the man said, extending his hand. The three each shook it in turn. "I heard Duncan found quite the ragtag team of recruits, but you're certainly not what I expected."

Mariel frowned, but Seerin grinned. "Ah, well, you're not quite what I expected either."

Cassava smiled apologetically, laughing loudly and shooting Seerin a reproaching look. "So nice to meet another who will be joining us."

"Yes, the Joining!" Seerin added. "Don't suppose you could tell us anything about it, Daveth, my good friend?"

Daveth smirked. "Well, from what I've heard, it's nothing pleasant. We might even have to venture into the Wilds!"

Cassava and Seerin exchanged an eager look--obviously not the response Daveth had expected to get.

"Anyway," he said, "we should probably head back now. Duncan and the others must be waiting for us; it looks past noon."

They agreed and found that the group was indeed waiting, along with two men Mariel didn't recognize.

"Ah, and now everyone is here," Duncan said. "This is Alistair, there is Ser Jory, and it seems you've already met Daveth."

"Introductions all over again," the Aeducan dwarf grumbled.

"Well, we wouldn't want to bore anybody," Alistair said sarcastically.

He was already in a sour mood from having to run errands around camp all day.

Duncan shot a look at Alistair before addressing the entire group.

"Everyone, the time has come to prove your worth. Tonight, we shall begin the Joining, and some of you will join the ranks of the Grey

Wardens. In preparation, we shall send you to the Wilds to perform two tasks."

This sent a murmur through the recruits, some of excitement, some of fear.

"Alistair will fill you in on the particulars, but your main task is to acquire darkspawn blood, one vial for each of you. It will be needed for the ritual tonight." He took a satchel from the ground and began passing out vials to everyone. When he came to Mariel, though, he did not give her one, instead passing right by her.

"Duncan, I'm going too," she called, thinking he may have missed her because of her smaller stature combined with her choice of standing between Seerin and Cassava, who where both taller than her.

He paused, then continued handing out the vials until everyone had one but her. She felt her cheeks color with indignation. Why was he singling her out like this?

"Good luck, everybody. I leave you in Alistair's care. Mariel," he said, beckoning to her. "I'd like you to stay with me."

Mariel met the eyes of Seerin and Cassava. Her brother awkwardly looked away; he was happy she wouldn't be joining them in the Wilds after all. Cassava patted Mariel's shoulder. "Be good," she said soothingly. "Duncan knows what's best."

Mariel watched as the others passed the gate to the Wilds, the guard nodding his approval and letting them out. She turned to Duncan, unsure of what to feel. Gratitude? Animosity?

"I apologize," he said. "I had originally intended for you to take part in the Joining, but after much contemplation, I decided against it. Your brother will feel more at ease, even if I would still ask of you to train with us and help defend Ostagar during the Blight."

Mariel felt a wave of disappointment. So she wouldn't become a Warden after all. Even worse, she still had to stick her neck out for their base. But she chided herself for thinking that way; of course she would fight against the darkspawn. Warden or no Warden, it was the right thing to do.

She nodded to Duncan. "I understand."

"Good," he said, smiling. "Let's go get you a proper suit of armor, then."

--

Mariel wasn't allowed to see the actual ritual of the Wardens; it was forbidden. She did, however, after swearing secrecy, get to attend the funeral pyre for those who did not survive the Joining. They included Daveth, Ser Jory, and Shay. Sorry as she was for the loss, their deaths made Mariel all the more grateful for Seerin and Cassava's lives. They were resting up along with the other fresh, new wardens, because as Mariel understood it, the Joining was not a simple induction ceremony.

Seerin has bid her take the wild flower he'd found in the forests to the sick mabari. He'd badly wanted to deliver it himself and see the dog's recovery, but he was in terrible physical pain himself and could hardly sit up. Mariel had never seen him so sick in her life, and promised she'd return to his aid right after tending to the dog.

The kennel master was ecstatic to see the plant Mariel brought to him.

"Yes, this is it! I will mix up an ointment right away."

Mariel sat next to the mabari, who was trembling with fever, and stroked his fur in an attempt to soothe him. She and the kennel master coaxed the hound to swallow the medicine, and almost instantly the dog appeared less ill. His quivering stopped, and his eyes remained steady once more. He even wagged his stubby tail and gave a weak bark. Mariel wondered if she should feed the wild flower to the other Wardens.

The kennel master laughed with delight. "There we go! He should be cleared up in time for the war, even. Though I wouldn't advise him fighting too soon," he added. He turned to Mariel. "I think he took a strong liking to your friend earlier; they call it imprinting. If that's the case, this dog would be all his. Tell him to drop by sometime after this chap's all healed up,"

Mariel smiled. "Seerin would like that."

--

At the moment, the wardens were well and up and about again. Seerin would've been pleased indeed to hear news of the mabari or his sister, but he and the other wardens had been called to meet with Loghain and Cailan to plan battle strategy.

Mariel was disappointed that she couldn't find Seerin or Cassava, but she did run into Alistair.

"Oh, hello," he said. "You'd better prepare yourself. The battle's going to start any minute."

"I'm looking for Seerin and Cassava." She clung to his arm before he could dart away. "Where are the other new wardens?"

Alistair sighed, anxious to get moving. "Seerin, Cassava, and I have been assigned to light the beacon atop the tower of Ishal. That will signal Loghain's army to charge the darkspawn. It's an important job, even though I'd much rather be on the battlefield with everyone else."

Mariel swallowed. "Should I be down there too?" She had never seen a single darkspawn before, but from the terrifying tales she'd heard, she certainly wasn't looking forward to facing an entire army of them.

Alistair regarded her a moment. "Here is probably a good place to be, though I can't guarantee it will be safe if the darkspawn break past the garrison."

"Okay," she said slowly, nodding. Her heart beat loudly, and it felt as if it had suddenly leapt into her throat. Though Alistair had been itching to leave at first, he was now reluctant. Mariel, even in her new armor and armed with a sharp set of daggers, seemed impossibly defenseless. She even started feeling that way now.

"Well," she said, her voice thick, "don't you have a job to do?"

Alistair opened his mouth, then closed it again. Finally, he put a hand on her shoulder. "May the Maker keep you."

"May he keep us all," she echoed softly as he left.

She withdrew her blades and slid into stance, eyes fixed on the base's entrance. Everything was quiet, as if all the Wardens were holding their breath.

Suddenly Mariel was startled by a loud enthusiastic bark. She shrieked and turned toward the sound, but to her relief, she found it was only her good old mabari friend. Though the kennel master had taken the other hounds out to battle, he must've decided to leave this one behind. Mariel was grateful for a companion and quickly unlatched the kennel's gate.

"I wanted to have my brother name you," she said, chewing her lip, "but I feel like you cannot go without one for any longer." She paused and thought a moment. "From now on, I will call you Aries. Does that sound good, boy?"

He woofed excitedly, and she laughed, patting his head. Just as soon as she had started relaxing, comforted by the presence of a friend, though, the darkspawn began arriving. They came in small groups, trickling in from the horde, but they were terrifying to the core.

Mariel clutched her daggers tightly, Aries let out a menacing growl, and the two prepared to leap into battle.

--

A mabari is a huge dog, nearly half the height of an average man on all fours with twice the fur and muscle of one. It made Mariel look especially weak and frail next to Aries, but the two served as a formidable team against the darkspawn they encountered, even while armed only with knives and fangs. Still, there was no way they could stand the onslaught of the entire horde. It didn't seem that the rest of the soldiers at Ostagar could either.

After stabbing her dagger through the neck of a hurlock, Mariel glanced up at the tower of Ishal. As far as she knew, Loghain's forces would arrive to save the day once its beacon was lit. Her heart jumped with hope when she saw a healthy fire blazing at the top of the tower. Her brother and his fellow wardens had succeeded, then; they were certain to be victorious now. She fought with newfound vigor, slicing through the darkspawn almost gracefully, and Aries continued to tear through his enemies as well. The burst of energy began to die away, though, as the darkspawn continued to advance; her arms started to ache; fatigue began gnawing away at her conscious.

As she felled yet another monster, she fell with it to her knees. Aries hovered over her, and the two panted heavily. To their relief, there seemed to be no more darkspawn in sight, even if they were only in the small area of the post near the kennels. Mariel noticed more of her own allies pouring in, though, and she called to one breathlessly as he passed, "Have we won?"

The man looked at her incredulously. "Maker, we're all doomed! The king has fallen. The darkspawn are endless!"

"What of Loghain's men? Have they been defeated as well?" Mariel asked anxiously.

"Bloody army never even showed up," the man moaned. "We're all going to die!"

Mariel struggled to her feet, fueled by worry. "What about the group sent to light the beacon? Are they still in the tower?"

"Maker's breath, what does it matter? They're sure to be dead--just as we soon will be!"

The man broke off into hysterics as the darkspawn army arrived at the base, trampling tents and smashing lean-tos in. Mariel looked again at the tower of Ishal with grim determination.

She turned to Aries. "We have to find Seerin."

The dog barked in response, and he bolted straight for the bulk of the darkspawn without hesitation. Mariel took a deep breath and sprinted after him, blades gripped tightly in her hands. Trampling and swiping their way through, most of the darkspawn horde didn't even have time to counter as the two dashed by.

In this manner they made it all the way across the bridge leading to the tower. Mariel felt her heart sink when she saw that even the tower had been infiltrated by the monsters, who were now spilling in and out of the flaming building.

"Seerin," she whispered.

Aries let out a warning howl, but Mariel reacted too slowly, barely avoiding the swing of the battle-axe that would've severed her in two. As it was, she still suffered a nasty gash along her abdomen, and the large, heavily armored darkspawn wielding the now bloodied axe chuckled darkly. The frightening grin on its face disappeared as Aries leapt onto it, though, knocking it down and shredding its face to pieces.

Mariel winced, dropping her knives, and she placed a hand on her stomach. Her fingers came back warm, wet, and red, and she knew her wound was much worse than a shallow cut.

Still, she feebly turned towards the tower and looked again towards the top, the blazing beacon. There was a large, dark silhouette outside the highest window. Mariel thought it resembled a giant bird, but as her vision started to blur, she began doubting herself. Aries whined and pressed his head to the palm of her hand, but the elf had already started swaying, and in moments she collapsed to the ground.

The mabari whimpered and prodded the girl, attempting to wake her, but she remained unconscious. She was also losing blood fast. Aries took down the couple of darkspawn that strayed toward him and his fallen comrade, but he was a smart hound, and he knew Mariel needed help. With a grunt, Aries nudged the little elf onto his back and searched for an escape route. All of Ostagar reeked of darkspawn, including the tower Mariel had been so intent to enter. Even though Aries could pick up the scent of Seerin from within, he didn't relish the idea of running up so many stairs--especially in a very high building that was about to burn down.

Instead, Aries broke down the gate to the Korcari Wilds and ran through the night, finally finding refuge next to a lone soldier's campfire.


	6. Fergus

_A/N: (End of Mariel's retelling)_

--

Mariel told her tale till the sun started rising, and after extinguishing the fire, the three all settled into well-needed rest.

Even with constant fear for friends and siblings, exhaustion conquered all senses. For a couple days, they stayed put; Ser Fergus and Aries captured game while Mariel gradually healed. She felt guilty about being babied and was the first to ask of their future plans the moment she felt up to traveling. In the end, Ser Fergus decided to accompany Mariel to the small, remote village of Lothering. After that, he intended to leave for Denerim and see what he could do about the situation with Loghain -- as discreetly as possible, of course.

The two of them, along with Aries, slowly made their way through the Wilds, partly due to Mariel's injury and partly due to her dog's tendency to stray from their course. They were in no rush, though, and the two leisurely exchanged stories along the way.

"...and it was the last time my parents ever let Cassava have a pet. The kitchen was a disaster! Plates shattered, jars spilling out onto the shelves and floors, cabinets with sacks of grain and flour pouring onto the servants' heads ..."

Mariel noticed he was careful to omit the word "elf" when he mentioned servants, but she knew that elves must have served him, of course.

"Our mother was furious," Fergus said, laughing. "Even more mad than the time I took Cassava to the market in Denerim and we ended up lost! I was young, but I had reached the age where you want to show off your skills and never admit your mistakes. Very foolish. Cassava was just a babe, could hardly walk and talk as of yet, and I loved showing her all the things I knew. Must've been quite the braggart. Anyhow, we somehow ended up in the Alienage, and I was terrified to ask for help. If this clever little elf boy hadn't figured out we were lost and taken the time to guide us back to the market square, we would've really been in a fix. I'll always remember that boy -- he was rather strange for a city elf. Had this dark, tanned skin and the funniest smile."

Mariel raised her eyebrows. "Dark skin? That had to be my older brother, Seerin! I don't know a single elf in Denerim as tan as him."

"Really, now! The one who became a Grey Warden with Cassava? I wonder if they recognized each other."

"I dunno. Seerin met a lot of people around town. He was always getting into trouble ..."

Mariel then launched into the famous tale of the reason behind Seerin's tattoos, which took them all the way till dusk as Fergus needed Dalish elf and city elf stereotypes explained as well as the importance of a single, shiny sovereign to a rambunctious elf boy to fully understand the story.

The trees had started thinning a while ago, and Lothering was now easy to spot when they reached clear, open road.

"Excellent," Fergus said. "At this rate, we'll find a hearty meal and soft mattresses tonight."

What awaited them just outside the town, however, were rows and rows of shoddy tents, inhabited by dirty, shivering people who all looked incredibly pale and thin. Some didn't even have shelters and rummaged through stray supply sacks and crates for leftovers, occasionally being chased off by another hungry scavenger. One group of people was pleading with a templar who stood just outside the village, but though some tried to edge their way past him, the templar let none into the town.

"Refugees from the Blight," Fergus said darkly. "There must be a great deal more of them here than the last time I passed through if they're being denied entrance now."

Mariel felt for them, but saw nothing she could do to provide significant help. "Can we still get in?" She felt guilty, but that only made her want to get away from the refugees more.

"Yes, definitely. They won't turn away people with coin, especially in times like these."

Mariel felt her cheeks flush. "I--I have no money--"

"Don't be silly, m'lady-- I will take care of it. Ah, here it is: Dane's Refuge." He gallantly held the door open for her. "It's not anything like the Gnawed Noble Tavern in Denerim, but it will suit us far better than hard forest floor."

After much persuasion, Aries was allowed into the inn with Mariel and Fergus and the three found a table in the back so as to escape the innkeeper's sour glares. The stew was mediocre but warm and Mariel fed the pieces of meat she found to Aries. Oddly enough, the dog would eat plants and berries out in the Wilds when there was nothing else to devour, but he turned his nose up at any vegetables Mariel offered him now.

As the companions continued to banter while they ate, Mariel realized how much she enjoyed Fergus's company. He was pleasant to talk to, an amiable acquaintance and proper gentleman, and she expected he must be a talented warrior from his experience out in the Wilds and his well-worn but sturdy armor and sword. She was disappointed he wouldn't be staying with her, though in truth, she had no idea where she planned to go. She also didn't wish to slow him down or hinder him with her presence as an elf when he had important business in Denerim to attend to.

Fergus noticed her sudden lack of enthusiasm and asked her about it, but she effectively covered it up for grief she'd gained from Ostagar.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized her loss.

"You're a lot like your sister, you know," she remarked.

He chuckled. "Oh? Care to elaborate? Lest I think you see me as fearless and headstrong."

Mariel ignored this as it was one of the traits she admired in Cassava. "You are both very warm and welcoming to a stranger."

"And ... is said stranger complimenting me or forewarning me for trusting her so completely?" he said wryly, raising his eyebrows.

Mariel smiled. "I really appreciate it. Taking me under your wing when I would've just died in the Wilds like the rest of the Wardens ... I'm grateful for you."

Fergus returned the smile. "And I am grateful to you as well. You have... rekindled my hopes when I thought the fire had burned out."

Mariel blushed and looked down, quickly finding she'd misinterpreted him. She had forgotten that Fergus had just recently lost his wife and son. And she had actually let herself start to fall for him. Seerin would've noticed, and he would've teased her. He said girls her age couldn't help fawning over a nice guy--or his nice set of hands.

"The first time a guy treats a girl respectfully, she starts thinking he's the one and that it's true love," he'd told her once. He'd then winked. "Easiest way to a woman's heart, but don't let it fool you, Mari. If the guy's my age, he only wants to get you in his bed. If he's older, he thinks you'll have him arrested for prejudice if he acts otherwise. And if he's your age ... Then he's crazy!"

He'd laughed and she'd promptly punched him on the shoulder. Hard.

At any rate, Mariel pushed such thoughts from her mind. When their bellies were full, even Aries's, and they'd told all but their entire lives to each other, they bid each other good night and retired to their own rooms.

--

Mariel had never prided herself on hearing especially well, despite her elf heritage, but she did have the heightened sense due to her pointed ears. Not that she needed that to hear Fergus in his clinking armor as he opened the creaky door of her room. His steps were slow but heavy and the floorboards squeaked noisily beneath him. She heard the crinkling of paper, the rustling of leather, and the jingling of coins for a brief moment. Then he gingerly --but still noisily --attempted to make his way back out. His boot suddenly struck the door with a loud, jarring thump, and he cursed. Mariel suppressed a laugh and smiled silently. Aries, however, who had immediately sat up at Fergus's entrance cocked his head, letting out a confused whine.

Fergus froze, but when Mariel didn't appear to stir, he hastily slipped out the door and closed it shut.

After waiting a moment to ensure he'd left, Mariel opened her eyes and crept to the small table at the front of the room, Aries lazily following her.

"Some guard dog you are," she teased, but rubbed the dog's ear fondly.

On the table, she found an envelope and a pouch sitting neatly next to each other. Within the purse, to her surprise, she found a great deal of sovereigns and silver. She quickly tore open the envelope andunfolded the letter within.

_To Lady Mariel Tabris:_

_I have been honored to share these past days with you, which I shall cherish in these dark times, but regretfully; I must depart, and I do not wish for you to feel obliged to endure travel with me when I am surely bound for bleak and dreary things of consequence. Of all the things we discussed, I laugh to think that I cannot recall ever mentioning where you planned to journey next. Wherever it may be and whatever you choose to do, I wish you good fortune and leave you some coin to help you start. Please think of it as repayment for the service you have done of accompanying me, a debt which is still truly unpaid._

_My fond farewells to both you and Aries._

_Maker's blessing upon you,_

_Ser Fergus Cousland_

Mariel dropped the paper in disbelief. For the love of Andraste, he was actually paying her? As if saving her life was a privelege? She immediately suited up, grabbed her things, and ran out her room as quickly as she could, Aries trailing behind.

The tavern was silent as the sun rose, and the main room was empty save for the innkeeper, who was dozing at the counter. Mariel scanned the room desperately, then scrambled for the door and burst outside, but to no avail. Fergus must've literally sprinted out onto the road to be out of sight by now; Mariel looked from one end of the town to the next, holding her breath anxiously, but let it out in an exasperated sigh. He was gone. He must've really wanted to make sure she didn't follow him. Though the thought somewhat hurt Mariel, she decided the least she could do now was respect his wishes.

Aries looked up at her and cocked his head. She rested her hands on her hips, frowning. What was she going to do now, anyway?


	7. Reunion

_A/N: And so, this is the last chapter. :) If you made it this far ... I congratulate you! Please tell me if you would like to hear more._

--

The thought hit Mariel after she had helped a refugee boy find his way back to his mother: She should return to Ostagar and search for survivors. Surely, the darkspawn were few in numbers there if they had not all moved on by now. It seemed a shame Ser Fergus had taken his time to travel to Lothering with her, but she felt completely lost without Seerin, or even Cassava, whom she had grown close with. Maybe they needed help, and she had to at least try to be there for them.

After scarfing down breakfast and stocking up on supplies, including a map of Ferelden, Mariel started back towards the Korcari Wilds, as ridiculous as it seemed.

"Let's see," she murmured, unfolding her map. The ruins of Ostagar were at the edge of the Korcari Wilds, just a little south of Lothering. It was just like she had thought, but seeing it in ink before her eyes was reassuring.

Unfortunately, she failed to keep her eyes on the road itself as she was crossing the bridge out of town, and she bumped right into the hard leather breastplate of a man.

"Oh," Mariel gasped, fumbling to close her map and stuff it hurriedly into her pack. "Excuse me, I'm so sorry ..."

She then glanced at the man, who was firmly planted in the middle of the bridge; three others were leaning lazily against the rails on either side. They all were staring hungrily at her, and Mariel realized the man had wanted her to run into him on purpose.

_Bandits!_ she thought frantically.

Aries growled beside her, but the men seemed to show no concern.

"Where's your big human master, elf? Did he decide to leave you with the refugees?" the leader sneered. "Or did he send you on a special errand? I can smell the silver in your bag from here. Just hand it over and we'll let you pass."

"We would've taken the money earlier but we decided that knight looked pretty tough," one of the others added unhelpfully. "Not like the easy refugees we usually pick on."

"Quiet, fool!" the leader snapped.

Mariel frowned. "How pathetic. You would prey on those who have lost so much and prove no challenge to you? You're worse than the darkspawn."

"Call us what you like, but it won't stop us from looting your pockets. And trust me, it doesn't make a difference to us if the money comes from your willing hand or your corpse, so I'd give the matter a little thought."

She knew she shouldn't have been itching to fight, especially when she was bound to reopen her wound, but she wasn't about to just let these brigands continue getting away with such garbage. "I'm not giving you anything but one chance to redeem yourselves and walk away from here."

"Oho!" the leader chuckled. "Well, it looks like this is going nowhere. You three take the mutt--careful, he looks vicious. I'll handle the little one."

Mariel swiftly drew one of her knives and flung it towards one of the other men. It struck him straight in the forehead, and he tipped backwards over the edge of the bridge. While the others stared in shock, Aries tackled another of the brutes to the ground, gaining a great headstart against his two foes. The bandit leader recovered quickly and parried Mariel's blow. Having thrown her dagger, she only had her short sword now, which forced her to attack with a style she was less comfortable and less balanced with. Her other arm felt like dead weight as she fought on. The bandit leader was clearly more skilled than his companions, and he seemed to know his way with a sword better than she.

Luckily, Aries had finished his enemies easily and leapt to Mariel's aid. Catching the bandit by surprise, he managed to chomp down on the man's sword hand, gnawing viciously at his wrist.

He cried out and dropped his weapon, wrenching his hand free with a sickening tearing sound. Clutching his bleeding hand to his chest, the bandit leader sank to his knees, where Mariel's sword tip met his chin.

He fearfully met her gaze. "P-p-please don't kill me."

"Would I offer a darkspawn mercy if it could ask me for it?" she mused aloud. "No. It'd probably stab me in the back the instant I sheathed my blade, or continue killing right after I left. Why should I spare you, who would do no different?"

"I swear, I swear that I'll change--this is a life-changing experience, it is! I'd be damned to ignore such an omen."

"Surely," Mariel said dryly, regarding the man with disgust. She'd be doing the world a favor by disposing of him, and it'd be easy. One, smooth swipe of the blade; he wouldn't even feel it. And yet, she felt she'd be doing an injustice to kill him when there was mercy to be offered.

"All right," she finally declared. "I've decided to--"

The head of an arrow suddenly _thunked_ through the man's neck, and he took a last, strangled breath before hitting the floor. Mariel raised her sword, ready to face her newcomer. At the edge of the bridge stood a lone archer, another arrow already positioned in his shortbow. He wore a helmet that shadowed his face.

"I hope you have a good reason for killing that man," Mariel said, trying to hide her quickened breathing. "I had everything under control."

The man suddenly paused, and he slowly lowered his bow. "Mari?"

Mariel couldn't believe her ears. But now she saw it -- the slender torso, the long limbs that could only belong to an elf. He removed his helmet, revealing her brother's astonished face.

"Maker's breath!" she cried, dropping her sword. Aries let out an ecstatic bark and jumped on top of Seerin, licking his face thoroughly. He laughed and at the same time cringed as the dog covered him with drool.

He literally had to wipe the slobber from his face as he stood, and was then immediately tackled with a hug from Mariel.

"I can't believe it! You're alive!" she sang.

"Me?" he laughed. "Look at you! Flemeth told us there were no survivors from Ostagar."

"Fergus told me the same ... Wait, Flemeth? 'Us'?" she asked hopefully.

He grinned. "I'm sort of the unofficial scout of our group. We're camped not far from here and I went ahead to see how close we were to town. Come on, I'll take you back. It sounds like we've got a lot of catching up to do."

--

To Mariel's joy, Cassava, along with Alistair, had also survived, they and her brother having been saved from the mysterious Witch of the

Wilds they had previously met during their Joining. With the rest of all the Grey Wardens in Ferelden dead, it was up to them to use the Wardens' treaties to gather an army to stop the Blight. Mariel couldn't help but think how impossible it all sounded, but she had thought it impossible her companions were alive before and was more than happy to have been proven wrong.

"And then," Seerin concluded, "Flemeth sent her daughter Morrigan to travel with us, who suggested we first head to Lothering. I'll warn you now, though ... Whatever you do and no matter how you treat her, she's bound to find some fault with you. Don't take it personally."

"Oh," Mariel said, frowning. This apostate mage sounded more and more unpleasant, though she supposed she should be nothing but grateful to her. "Why is she traveling with you, again?"

Seerin chuckled. "Her mother kicked her out of the house."

"I heard that, Seerin," a sharp, feminine voice called to them.

Standing with her back to the others' campfire was a pale woman with stark raven hair messily tied up behind her head, and beneath her bangs glared two large, golden eyes. Her clothing was a very interesting collage of materials from scraps of cloth to leather to silks, but it was rather revealing. Mariel, who scarcely ever showed so much as a collarbone if she didn't have to, was unnerved by this.

"Would you deny it?" Seerin asked, grinning.

"No," she admitted, "but I would add that I was only sent because Mother could see you so desperately needed my help."

"Oh, yes," Alistair added sarcastically. "We definitely needed help pointing out the negatives of the Blight. Not like we knew thousands of darkspawn are advancing while we're just moseying about here, doing nothing important at all."

"So, you think sorting your filthy, mud-coated socks is important, do you?" she said dryly. "We're all very impressed."

Alistair blushed, but attempted to hide it. "Actually, I do. We're in for a lot of walking ... unless you can turn into a great vulture and fly us everywhere."

"My friends, is this really necessary?" Cassava pleaded, only to be ignored.

"A vulture, indeed," she clucked. "Is that how you see me?"

Seerin smiled. "Don't mind them, Mari--they're always going at each other's throats. It's amusing most of the time."

"Mari?" Cassava asked. Seerin and Mariel finally reached the camp, pushing aside the last of the bushes. Cassava's face lit up with delight. "Maker be praised!"

She immediately leapt to her feet to embrace her friend. Morrigan's eyes followed her curiously, as well as Alistair's. "Mariel," he said, furrowing his brow in thought. "Why can't I remember ...? Oh, oh! You're ... You're Seerin's, um--"

"Sister," Mariel finished. She squeaked as Cassava crushed her in a bear-hug.

"Oh, Mariel, I thought we'd lost you," Cassava said tearfully.

"Yes, you should've seen what a sorry sight your brother was," Morrigan drawled, but she gave Mariel a thin smile. "It is good you are here now."

That small smile suddenly melted Mariel's suspicions of the mage, and she felt ashamed for thinking any prejudiced thoughts based on first appearances or ... unique clothing choices.

Morrigan's smile fell away though when Aries let out an excited bark and bolted into the clearing.

"This must be the dog you rescued at Ostagar!" Cassava said, petting the happy hound on the head.

"Please tell me we're not taking this mangy mongrel with us," Morrigan groaned.

"He's not mangy," Alistair protested, joining Cassava in spoiling the mabari.

Mariel smiled at Morrigan. "He's saved my life many times, now. I dare not abandon him."

"No!" Alistair suddenly yelped. "That's my dinner, you scoundrel!"

"Smart dog," Seerin said, raising his eyebrows. "Good boy."

Morrigan heaved a great sigh. And now we have a dog. And Alistair is still the stupidest member of the party."


End file.
